The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Driven by the unexpected success of 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Nintendo and Illumination bring us this vibrant and energetic sequel that keeps the (Mario) party going.

SPOILER WARNING

After Bowser Jr. (Bennie Safdie) kidnaps Rosalina (Brie Larson) and threatens the entire galaxy, our plumbing heroes Mario (Chris Pratt), Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), and Luigi (Charlie Day) spring into an intergalactic rescue mission. In tow is their captive - a minuscule Bowser (Jack Black), who is trying to turn a new leaf.

SPOILER ENDS

Full of sprightly characters and intoxicating animation, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie delivers bucketloads of entertainment. Foremost is Black’s comedic turn as Bowser, even in miniature form; his portrayal of the spiky villain generates strong laughs across all age groups, elevating the movie into the “Parent Watchable” category, which is a tricky box to headbutt (or tick).

The vocal chemistry between the cast is strong, particularly those returning from the previous outing. Charlie Day exudes affable charm, and Pratt’s headstrong turn as Mario does justice to these beloved characters. Brie Larson gets somewhat shelved for a big portion of the film, but is great when she’s there, and Taylor-Joy provides kickass scenes as Peach.

The film does fall foul of pacing issues, running a million miles an hour into various locations and set pieces - perfect to exhaust younger viewers but tedious at times for the more mature movie aficionado. And there are perhaps too many characters being dropped into the storyline at once, almost as if Nintendo is trying to establish a metric ton of merchandise and gaming opportunities.

Illumination deliver the goods when it comes to striking animation here, with crisp, striking visuals throughout, and the score is just as delightful as the first film, with plenty of nostalgic nodding of the head to the gaming legacy being refreshed.

Whilst you may need to load up on confectionery or coffee before viewing, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a worthy sequel to the 2023 film. Fist bumps all round.